Beehive Gardens seeks pathway for greenhouse cannabis cultivation on 1.5‑acre RR5 parcel; commission outlines application steps

Representatives from Beehive Gardens and a broker told the Brush Valley Planning and Zoning Commission on June 4 that they intend to pursue a conditional-use permit to cultivate licensed medical cannabis in greenhouses on a 1.5‑acre parcel currently zoned RR5.

Bijan Sekhaki, a representative of Beehive Gardens, said the company holds one of eight state licenses for medical cannabis cultivation and is seeking a greenhouse site to grow material for extraction. Sekhaki told the commission the company currently cultivates indoors elsewhere and would use the Rush Valley site for greenhouse production that would be harvested and frozen for shipment to licensed extraction facilities. “We're allowed to operate 2 facilities given our licensure,” Sekhaki said. He emphasized that under Utah Department of Agriculture direction, a local conditional-use permit would allow the Department to approve the local site despite proximity restrictions that normally apply to community locations.

Commission staff and members advised on the local process: the parcel is a 1.5‑acre lot grandfathered into RR5 zoning, and rezoning to a commercial designation would be difficult. The commission explained that the property owner (a nonprofit, University Impact) must submit the conditional‑use application and that the permit, if approved, would run with the property and be transferable to a buyer. Commissioners recommended the applicant prepare a detailed packet including a site plan, utility plan (power, well connection), security plan, evidence of water rights, and building‑permit documentation for ancillary structures (boiler/utility rooms, walk‑in freezer). Planning staff also advised that a public hearing will be required and that the town needs sufficient lead time for notices; commissioners suggested targeting an August meeting rather than July to allow the applicant to assemble engineering, security and odor‑mitigation plans.

Sekhaki described planned infrastructure and mitigation measures: hydronic heating with a boiler and 500‑gallon water reservoir, blackout curtains for light control, carbon air scrubbers to reduce odors, perimeter fencing, 24‑hour camera surveillance tied to monitoring/dispatch, and locked access with key fobs for regulators and employees. He said harvested plants would be frozen and shipped for extraction rather than processed on-site into finished products, and he noted the company’s compliance record in other counties. Sekhaki acknowledged community concerns about lights, odor and response time for law enforcement in rural areas and said Beehive Gardens plans to include community‑friendly measures (infrared cameras rather than continuously bright floodlights, motion‑activated perimeter lighting, local emergency contacts) in its application.

The commission advised the owner (University Impact) to submit a completed conditional‑use packet and noted that because the owner holds title, the owner must make the application; a conditional‑use permit, if granted, would run with the parcel and be transferable. The commission and applicant agreed to plan for an August agenda to allow time for a complete application, public-notice timelines and any required public hearing.